Draw-out type modular high voltage switchgear and compartment-motorized racking mechanism therefor

ABSTRACT

Racking mechanism for truck mounted withdrawal type switchgear in which circuit interrupter members are mounted on a frame telescopically movable with respect to the main truck frame. The frame carrying the circuit interrupter elements has disconnect contacts which may be engaged with stationary disconnect contacts connected to busses in a cubicle in a switchboard. The racking mechanism for moving the circuit interrupter carrying frame with respect to the truck mounted frame is motorized including a rotatable shaft on the truck frame with a crank on the shaft. Rotation of the shaft in one direction moves the circuit interrupter frame to engage the disconnect contacts and rotation in the other direction separates the disconnect contacts. The rotation of the shaft is performed by a plaste radially mounted on the shaft with sections on opposite sides of the plate and a reciprocal slide member extending adjacent the plate. On each movement of the slide member in one direction the plate and shaft on which it is mounted is rotated through a predetermined angle. The motorized racking mechanism during its rotations causes the slide to operate more than once to complete the movement of the circuit interrupter frame in either the racking-in or racking-out direction. The switchgear also contains opening springs for the contacts which may be recharged with the spring prevented from operating by a circuit condition responsive latch; the same motor may also be used to charge the spring following an opening operation.

United States Patent [191 Wilson Y 1 DRAW-OUT TYPE MODULAR HIGH VOLTAGE SWITCHGEAR AND COMPARTMENT-MOTORIZED RACKING MECHANISM THEREFOR [75] Inventor: George A. Wilson, Pineville, Pa.

[73] Assignee: I-T-E Imperial Corporation,

Philadelphia, Pa.

22 Filed: Aug. 21, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 282,358

Primary Examiner-J. R. Scott Attorney, Agent, or FirmOstrolenk, Faber, Gerb & Soffen [57] ABSTRACT Racking mechanism for truck mounted withdrawal Way; A TED M01 D/NG 450 [11] 3,823,281 [451 July 9,1974

type switchgear in which circuit interrupter members are mounted on a frame telescopically movable with respect to the main truck frame. The frame carrying the circuit interrupter elements has disconnect contacts which may be engaged with stationary disconnect contacts connected to busses in a cubicle in a switchboard. The racking mechanism for moving the circuit interrupter carrying frame with respect to the truck mounted frame is motorized including a rotatable shaft on the truck frame with a crank on the shaft. Rotation of the shaft in one direction moves the circuit interrupter frame to engage the disconnect contacts and rotation in the other direction separates the disconnect contacts. The rotation of the shaft is performed by a plaste radially mounted on the shaft with sections on opposite sides of the plate and a reciprocal slide member extending adjacent the plate. On each movement of the slide member in one direction the plate and shaft on which it is mounted is rotated through a predetermined angle. The motorized racking mechanism during its rotations causes the slide to operate more than once to complete the movement of the circuit interrupter frame in either the racking-in or racking-out direction. The switchgear also contains opening springs for the contacts which may be recharged with thespring prevented from operating by a circuit condition responsive latch;

the same motor may also be used to charge the spring following an opening operation.

18 Claims, 44 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUL 91974 SHEEF 01 0F 21 NQ. xv

PAIENTEU JUL 91974 I a/z PAULOKVF LEVI 5Q sum 01 HF 21 I .rE-JU.

PATENTEDJIFL 91974 sum 10 nr 21 70 240mm; emf/15,5 ziyze A PATENTED JUL 74 SHEEI 12 HF 21 PATENTED JUL 974 sum 17 or 21 

1. In draw-out switchgear for a compartment, said switchgear having a first frame and a second frame; switchgear operating elements and control elements mounted on said first frame; contact elements mounted on said second frame said contact elements including at least one movable contact and at least one complementary contact; said movable contact being operable between a disengaged and an engaged position with respect to said complementary contact; a connection between the switchgear operating and control elements for operating the switchgear operating elements; a connection between the switchgear operating elements and said movable contact to cause said movable contact to engage and disengage said complementary contact; back disconnect contacts on said second frame connected to said contact elements, said compartment having stationary disconnect contacts, said second frame being reciprocally movable with respect to said first frame between a connected and disconnected position for said back disconnect contacts with respect to said stationary disconnect contacts; the invention which comprises: a racking mechanism including a rotatable shaft mounted on said first frame; the axis of said shaft extending normal to the axis of reciprocal movement of said second frame; a crank on said shaft; a link pivotally connected to said crank; said link being pivotally connected to said second frame; means for rotating said shaft in a first direction and in a second and opposite direction; rotation of said shaft in said first direction correspondingly rotating said crank and drawing said link and second frame from a connected position of said back disconnect contacts to a disconnect position thereof; rotation of said shaft in the said second and opposite direction correspondingly rotating said crank and driving said link and second frame from a disconnected position of said back disconnect contacts to a connected position thereof.
 2. The draw-out switchgear of claim 1 in which the means for rotating the rotatable shaft includes a member transverse to said shaft and secured thereto for rotation therewith.
 3. The draw-out switchgear of claim 1 in which said last mentioned member is, at least in part, circular and is provided with a peripheral opening extending substantially radially thereof; a handle; said handLe being insertable into and removable from said opening for rotating said member and said shaft.
 4. The draw-out switchgear of claim 1 in which the means for rotating said shaft comprises; a plate; said plate being mounted on said shaft transverse thereto and secured thereto for rotation therewith, said plate having sections on opposite sides of said shaft; a slide member; said slide extending transverse to said shaft and being reciprocally slidable with respect thereto, said slide member extending in a plane adjacent that of said plate; said plate extending in a first angular position when the shaft and second frame are located at a position where the back disconnect contacts and stationary disconnect contacts are engaged, and in a second angular position when the shaft and second frame are at the position where said back disconnect contacts and stationary disconnect contacts are disengaged, means for operating said slide forward and away from said shaft, said slide engaging said plate on one side of said shaft when the shaft and second frame are at a position where the back disconnect contacts engage the stationary disconnect contacts and driving the shaft and frame toward a disengaged position of said back disconnect contacts and stationary disconnect contacts said slide engaging said plate on the opposite side of said shaft when the shaft and second frame are at the position where the back disconnect contacts are disengaged from said stationary disconnect contacts and driving said shaft and frame toward the position where the back disconnect contacts engage the stationary disconnect contacts.
 5. The draw-out switchgear of claim 4 in which: said plate having a pin secured on each side of said shaft and substantially normal to said plate; the said slide which engages the plate having a pair of fingers rotatably supported by the plate and extending substantially parallel thereto, one of the said pair of fingers extending below the shaft and one of said pair of fingers extending above said shaft.
 6. The draw-out switchgear of claim 5 in which: t the of said pins on said plate which is adjacent to the slide being engaged by the finger of the slide which finger extends on the same side of the shaft of said pin, when the slide is moved toward said shaft; the opposite pin on the plate being out of the path of movement of the opposite finger on the slide.
 7. The draw-out switchgear of claim 6 in which: means are provided on each of said fingers biasing each finger toward the pin on the plate which is on the same side of the shaft as each finger, and means for defeating said finger biasing means on said opposite side of the shaft.
 8. The draw-out switchgear of claim 6 in which: a driven member is provided; said driven member being mounted on the slide; a motor; an arm rotatably driven by said motor; a portion of said arm engaging said driven member during rotation of said arm and moving said slide toward said shaft during a portion of the rotatable movement of the arm; the said arm releasing said driven member on completion of movement of the slide toward the shaft, and means for returning said slide to a position remote from the shaft.
 9. The draw-out switchgear of claim 8 wherein; said motor and said arm driven by said motor operate in a single direction to reciprocate said shaft and said second frame between the said positions of said second frame wherein the back disconnect contacts are engaged and disengaged from the stationary disconnect contacts.
 10. The draw-out switchgear of claim 9 having a contact; a closing spring; means for charging the closing spring, said last mentioned means including the said motor, and means selectively operable for connecting said charged closing spring to drive said movable contact to engage the complementary contact.
 11. The draw-out switchgear of claim 7: wherein each end of thE plate on each side of the shaft has a pair of circumferentially spaced pins extending normal thereto; and wherein the slide and one of the fingers thereon, on moving toward the shaft, moves one of said pins and the plate and shaft through part of the angular distance required to move the second frame between the connected and disconnected positions of the back disconnect contacts and; on the next movement toward the shaft, the said one of the fingers moves the second of the said pair of pins, the plate and the shaft through the remaining angular distance to move the second frame the full distance between the connected and disconnected position of the back disconnect contacts.
 12. The draw-out switchgear of claim 7 wherein said means for defeating the finger control means comprises: a cam; said cam being associated with said shaft and rotatable with respect thereto; a connection between said plate and said cam to rotate said cam on said shaft in accordance with the angular position of said shaft and plate; said cam having a guiding surface; said guiding surface engaging and guiding the finger which is to remain out of engagement with a pin during movement of the slide toward the shaft; and permitting the finger which is to engage a pin to do so.
 13. The draw-out switchgear of claim 7 in which: a driven member is provided; said driven member being mounted on the slide; a motor; an arm rotatably driven by said motor; a portion of said arm engaging said driven member during rotation of said arm and moving said slide toward said shaft during a portion of the rotatable movement of the arm; the said arm disengaging said driven member on completion of movement of the slide toward the shaft, and means for returning said slide to a position remote from the shaft.
 14. The draw-out switchgear of claim 13 wherein said motor and said arm driven by said motor operate in a single direction to reciprocate said shaft and said second frame between the said engaged and disengaged position of the back disconnect contacts carried by said second frame.
 15. The draw-out switchgear of claim 12 in which: at least a portion of the guiding surface of said cam includes an edge of said plate on each side of said shaft; and a transverse projecting section on each finger being engageable with said guiding surface of said cam including said edge of said plate on the side of the shaft with respect to which the particular finger operates, when the shaft is rotated to a position in which the opposite finger on the opposite side of the shaft is engaged by the pin on the said opposite side of the shaft.
 16. The draw-out switchgear of claim 15 in which: said plate also carries a movable cam; said movable cam having a releasably fixed position with respect to each of the two opposite sides of the shaft; means for fixing said movable cam in one position where it cooperates with said guiding surface including an edge of the plate on one side of the shaft to supplement the cam surface thereof when the shaft is in an angular position in which the finger of the slide on that side is not to engage the pin of the plate on that side; means for releasing said fixed position of said movable cam and moving it to another fixed position on the other side of said shaft to supplement the cam surface of the edge of the plate on said opposite side.
 17. The draw-out switchgear of claim 4 wherein said the means for moving the slide comprises a driven member; said driven member being mounted on the slide; a motor; an arm rotatably driven by said motor; a portion of said arm engaging said driven member during rotation of said arm and moving said slide toward said shaft during a portion of the rotatable movement of the arm; the said arm releasing said driven member on completion of movement of the slide toward the shaft, said means for returning said slide to a position remote from the shaft.
 18. The Draw-out switchgear of claim 17 wherein said slide is spring biased to a position remote from the shaft; said slide returning to said last mentioned position on release of said driven member by said arm. 